[HanCinema's Film Review] "The Ripple"

Melodrama has always been the most favorite genre of Korean audiences, and probably the genre in the country's film history with the most entries. The ways the category has changed through the years are significant, but the main concept of things going from bad to worse until the kind of happy finale, still remains. Lim Seunghyeun, in his second feature, follows the "recipe" but also includes some elements that allow the movie to stand out.

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Ye-boon's granddaughter drowned in the river a year ago, in an event that alienated her from her daughter and caused a severe trauma to the already alcoholic elderly woman, who keeps searching for the remains or any traces of her every day. Ok-im, Ye-boon's old friend in the village, passes away from an illness that had tormented her for years, and had also caused her to ask her friend to take care of her own granddaughter, Ji-yeoon, just before she passed away. Ye-boon, although severely offended the first time she heard the suggestion, finds herself taking care of the young girl after all, who was also her own granddaughter's friend, while the latter is also struggling with her performance in the school's swimming team. Thus, a swimmer and a corpse shrouder start living together, while the problems around them pile up.

Probably the most interesting aspect of the movie is the way the two women are connected on multiple levels. The first one is the obvious one, a grandmother who lost her granddaughter and a granddaughter who lost her grandmother, try to fill up their loss with each other. The second and more interesting one, is the way they are connected through their obsession: Ye-boon to look for the remains and Ji-yeoon not being able to quit the team, even after her coach urges her to do so. The fact that this obsession also has a psychological subtext, considering that both women feel that their respective ones are the only things that can keep them sane, or even in life one could say, adds even more depth to their relationships as much as the analysis of their personas. Lastly, in a twist that comes close to the end, another connection is also revealed, with the whole concept being cemented in the finale.

At the same time, there is a problem here that derives from the fact that none of the two protagonists is particularly likable. Ye-boon's constant fits of rage and yelling does not help her case, even if the pain she is in is quite evident, particularly since she seems to lash towards everyone, even towards her sick friend. Ji-yeoon's treatment of her friends when they try to help her also moves towards the same way, as much as her immature reactions to the coach's decision. Granted, the grief she feels and the reasons for her insistence are definitely an excuse, but not to the point of making her fully likable.

Furthermore, the placement of the flashbacks within the story do not work that well, occasionally even mixing up the timeline, while that Lim has decided to include a number of secondary arcs (the policeman's role, the construction site, corpse shrouding, etc) do not help much either, as they push the narrative towards too many directions.

The aforementioned, however, do not mean that the movie has no other redeeming qualities. The story, and particularly the question of what will happen in the end are quite intriguing, essentially carrying the movie from beginning to end. Kim Ja-young's performance as the harsh Ye-boon is excellent, portraying a character that is essentially fearful to everyone around her, in the best fashion. Hong Ye-seo as Ji-yoon is also convincing as the immature, resolved, and grieving teenager, with the chemistry of the two being also very good.

Jeong Jong-heon's cinematography captures the bleakness of the lives of the characters with artistry, while the way water, in both the river and the rain is presented and implemented throughout the narrative, is excellent.

Issues with the writing and the editing do exist in "The Ripple", but as a whole, the movie works, particularly through the main story, the acting and the cinematography who deem it one that definitely deserves a watch.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"The Ripple" is directed by Lim Seunghyeun, and features Kim Ja-young, Hong Ye-seo, Jung Ae-hwa, Seol Si-yeon, Jang Joon-hwi, Choi Won-yong. Release date in Korea: No release date in Korea yet.